Snow!... and apple & plum crumble

 

Winter has come to Belgium!  It started snowing two days ago and a thin white coat covers the streets ever since.  Unfortunately a thin layer is all we get here -- still, it's better than nothing.  

 

One of the most beautiful winters I ever experienced was two years ago in Philadelphia (and that's where these winter pictures were taken).  A solid amount of snow, a brisk -8°C (just cold enough, but not too cold), and of course: blue sky and sunshine -- after all "it's always sunny in Philadelphia."

There is only one thing better than a walk in the snow on a sunny winter's day.  A walk in the snow on a sunny winter's day with a camera.  The photoholic that I am, I ventured on a quest to capture the beauty of winter.  I went through heaps of snow and half-frozen puddles, just to get the best shots.  

The results were great -- though I did pay the price of catching a cold and being stuck in bed for a few days (my shoes got completely soaked, so no wonder).  But who cares -- the mission was accomplished.

Of course, there are also downsides to such weather.  The snow in center city is a grey ugly mush, the pavements are so dirty and slippery that you can forget about wearing heels (sic!), and there are traffic jams everywhere.  (On the bright side -- it is always fun to watch people walk like a bunch of flamingos -- very careful not to slip on the icy surface).

Now imagine you just came back from such a wonderful winter walk.  You have the great pictures, your cheeks are nice and rosy, and... suddenly you start feeling very hungry.  Well, here is the perfect solution: a delicious, warm and filling crumble.  Apples go very well with plums, and the lemon zest just gives everything a fresh and festive taste.

Not to mention your whole house will be filled with the most divine apple-cinammon aroma.  Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or some custard: and you're all set!

Ingredients:

• 3 large apples (variety best suited for baking, such as Bramley)
• 500 g of pitted, halved plums (mine were frozen, and defrosted)
• Zest & juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tsp of cinnamon
• 2 tbsp of sugar
• 150 g of butter (soft)
• 200 g of flour
• 100 g of rolled oats
• 115 g of light brown sugar
• A couple of handfuls of nuts (I only had pine nuts, but chopped walnuts would be the best)

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 175 °C.
• Core the apples and cut them in chunks.  Toss with plums in bowl, adding lemon zest and juice, cinnamon, and 2 tbsp of sugar (you can add more or less -- depending on your taste and the taste of the apples).
• Cut the butter in chunks and mix with the remaining ingredients until you get a crumbling mixture (easiest just using your hands).
• Put fruit in a baking dish, sprinkle with crumble.
• Bake around 40 minutes until fruit is bubbling, and the crumble is golden.  Serve hot.

Bon appetit!